Tahoe - South vs. North

[gmcunni]

Just starting to think about a family trip next season and Tahoe is on the short list. My wife doesn't ski so we need to find a place that has non-ski activities for us to do as a family in the evenings and a few things my wife can go off and do while we ski during the day.

I've skied Alpine Meadows and Squaw (1 day each) and recall North Tahoe being boring (i stayed in truckee and wasn't really looking for anything to do as i was solo on a biz trip).

I believe South Tahoe is a bit more commercial. We're not in to casinos so hitting those in NV isn't our idea of fun. Anyone have thoughts on the area in general?

For reference - did CO this year and wife really liked Breckenridge + Keystone. Fun restaurants and stuff for her to do while we were out (spa, skating, shopping, etc)

 

[bobbutts]

http://www.squaw.com/winter-activities
has a bunch of stuff right at the resort

South Lake is pretty Casino-centric.. like if you want to see a movie you get to walk through a casino to get there. I'd probably stick to the north if you dislike them.

 

[ta&idaho]

Just starting to think about a family trip next season and Tahoe is on the short list. My wife doesn't ski so we need to find a place that has non-ski activities for us to do as a family in the evenings and a few things my wife can go off and do while we ski during the day.

I've skied Alpine Meadows and Squaw (1 day each) and recall North Tahoe being boring (i stayed in truckee and wasn't really looking for anything to do as i was solo on a biz trip).

I believe South Tahoe is a bit more commercial. We're not in to casinos so hitting those in NV isn't our idea of fun. Anyone have thoughts on the area in general?

For reference - did CO this year and wife really liked Breckenridge + Keystone. Fun restaurants and stuff for her to do while we were out (spa, skating, shopping, etc)

You might consider a late Spring trip to Tahoe. At that point in the year, you're still likely to get great skiing, and there may be more non-skiing options for your wife (not to mention outstanding weather).

Here are my thoughts on the two sides of the lake:

South Shore
There's a small little skating rink and some overpriced shops in the "Village" area at the
base of the Heavenly Gondola. http://www.theshopsatheavenly.com/golf-skate.php
You can also take the Gondola up to the mountain, where they have tubing-style activities and you could meet her for a drink or lunch.
I'm guessing Montbleu, the newest casino, formerly Caeasar's, might have some of the Vegas-style spa amenities.
My wife and I have stayed at Lakeland Village several times, which has some nice condo amenities including several pools, hot tubs, etc. My wife typically skied with me one day and relaxed in the condo the other day of a weekend trip. http://www.lakeland-village.com/resort.php/LAKELAND_VILLAGE/OVERVIEW

North Shore
As Bob mentioned, the Squaw Village is really nice, with shops, restaurants, and as many non-skiing activities as anywhere. Pricey, obviously.
Tahoe City's probably the most happenin' town on the North Shore, but it doesn't have much more than a handful of restaurants and bars. Most of the North Shore activities are spread across the several different towns.
There's also a XC center near Tahoe City: http://www.granlibakken.com/&pageredirect=default.asp
The resort in Incline Village is super fancy. http://laketahoe.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

I'd say your best bet is to book a nice condo or room in one of the lakeside resorts, and let her enjoy the beautiful views and resort amenities.

 

[arik]

agreed that there is not much besides skiing to do in north lake, but south lake only has Heavenly and there isn't really that much to do in South Lake Tahoe and there are so many more places to ski in north lake

Maybe you could stay in Reno and ski at Mount Rose or the north Lake places?

 

[Talisman]

Having skied both North and South Lake Tahoe, North is my preference. Truckee is a fun base of operations as it is close to Squaw, Sugar Bowl, Alpine Meadows and North Star. If it is windy or is snowing heavily consider North Star as there are trees to the summit and good glades. I have used Reno as a base and Mt Rose is a nice addition to the mix. If you do opt for North lake remember that the chain laws are a pain and renting a 4x4 makes it easier.

 

[ta&idaho]

No offense to the biggest little city in the world, but it does not sound like you would enjoy Reno. Unless you're craving some casino buffet food or have always wanted to visit the International Bowling Hall of Fame, stay up in the mountains.

One other random suggestion: consider Mammoth. Amazing place to ski, and the town of Mammoth Lakes beats any of the individual Tahoe towns for non-skiing activities.

 

[gmcunni]

One other random suggestion: consider Mammoth. Amazing place to ski, and the town of Mammoth Lakes beats any of the individual Tahoe towns for non-skiing activities.

i looked at mammoth but it seems like it is in the middle of nowhere. is gettign there a pain?

 

[ta&idaho]

i looked at mammoth but it seems like it is in the middle of nowhere. is gettign there a pain?

Yeah, its pretty remote. Its probably 2.5 hours from Reno or 5.5 hours from L.A., compared with 45min/1.5hrs from Reno to North/South Tahoe, and 3.5 hours from San Francisco. I think they've also started flights from LAX into the local airport.

 

[Chris Sullivan]

I did a North and South Tahoe trip about 12 years ago. The skiing on both sides was great. We hit 5 areas total and each one was distinctly different from the others. I did not gamble but did take advantage of some of the other activities and amenities that the Casinos had to offer. There were multiple shows and concerts to choose from nightly on the South side and it seemed to have more options for the non-skier than the North. I did not get out much on the North side because I was too shot from traveling and skiing.

 

[Edd]

I've stayed on both sides of the lake. Although I prefer the feel of the north the south has the advantage of being within an hour of all the ski areas. If you stay on the north side Kirkwood and Sierra are further out of reach. I'm no fan of the casinos but there were some cool joints to hang out on the Cali side of SLT.

 

[jaytrem]

You might consider a late Spring trip to Tahoe. At that point in the year, you're still likely to get great skiing, and there may be more non-skiing options for your wife (not to mention outstanding weather).

That's a good idea, North Tahoe has this going on each year...

http://www.tahoesnowfestivIal.com/

Lots of crazy events. Last year I managed to win a snowboard in the tri-cycle race.

 

[gmcunni]

thanks for all the info. have passed it along to wife (aka vacation planner) and we'll see what she comes up with.

 

[jerryg]

North has the better skiing, but aside from the Squaw Village, when the night falls, there's little to do. My wife and I aren't fans of the casinos, but love staying in South Lake as the dining options are endless, there are some cool locals bars, there is a newish theater on the Cali side, concerts most nights, live music in the bars, and while the shopping is pricey, the Heavenly Village is pretty cool. The south shore offers sleigh rides, close to snowmobile rentals, and a range of boat trips on the lake. I could personally be content to stay at Squaw, but my wife likes a little more to do and when there's been a storm, travel from the north to the south can be cut off for days. As for skiing, it depends on what you like. You can find pretty much what you are looking on either shore, bar none. I've skied all the resorts and areas and the only resort that doesn't really have terrain that can put a scare into you is Northstar - they do have great groomers through. Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe get the most snow and while Sierra's inbounds terrain is rather limited, the slackcountry is now patrolled and pretty extensive.

The bottom line is that it's Tahoe and you can't go wrong wherever you go. There is a great vibe around the lake and while you'll need to watch out for flailing Texans, you'll have a blast!

 

[nycskier]

If you like tree skiing South Lake is the place to be. The trees at Heavenly are insane! Also Sierra at Tahoe is a lot of fun too. If you plan to fly in or out of Sacramento or SF its a good place to hit on the way in or out.

South Lake also opens up Kirkwood to you. If there is snow you WANT to go to Kirkwood. As people have said South Lake also offers a lot more non skiing activities. If you want to go to shows, bars/clubs or casinos South Lake is a better option.

In addition if you dont plan on renting a car South Lake is the palce to go. You can fly into Reno, take a bus to South Lake, stay in one of the Casinos and you never need to drive. There are even buses that go to Sierra at Tahoe for free and to Kirwood for $10 roundtrip.

Plus walking around South Lake (or taking the Bus) is a breeze.

A couple of tips. Check out the ski specials. For example at Mt Rose this year they had a 2 for Tuesday special. Buy one lift ticket and you get one free. Homewood had $25 lift tickets on Thursday if you had a season pass anywhere else in the world. Also if you know you are going to Heavenly look into the season pass. With blackouts they are only $349.

As for other activites I know the bowling alley in South Lake is a lot of fun. Plus South Lake has a lot of place to do snowmoblie rentals, hiking and there are are a ton of spas there for your wife to chill out it.

And if you want a break from the cold you are a short drive from South Lake to the Carson Valley. below. There are hotsprings there and JT's Basque resturant in Gardernville is a lot of fun. Plus temps are usually in the 50s or even 60s at 4,000 ft elevation there during the winter. So dropping down can be a nice break.

 

[arik]

Oh how I dream of a month or two off work(feb-march) to spend in Tahoe

 

[jerryg]

Oh how I dream of a month or two off work(feb-march) to spend in Tahoe

I like March the best 'cause you get sunny warm days and week-long storms that drop several feet of snow. Cold air at night wicks the water out of the snow up high and the trees don't crust up. Love it!

 

[nycskier]

I like March the best 'cause you get sunny warm days and week-long storms that drop several feet of snow. Cold air at night wicks the water out of the snow up high and the trees don't crust up. Love it!

In Tahoe you get sunny warm days and week long storms all winter long!

It's not just March. It is perfectly normal to have 40 to 50 degree days on the mountain in January and Febuary as well as March!

And it's not like East Coast warm. It is warm sunny bluebird days of skiing in the middle of winter after nights of very cold weather. So while it gets up to 50 during the day at night it might drop down to the teens. And this usually occurs after a storm rolls in. So we are talking about warm bluebird days AFTER 3 to 6 feet of snow has fallen.

So not only is it good snow out there a Jan or Feb ski trip there can be a break from the cold weather back East. You get better ski conditions AND warmer weather.

Skiing in Tahoe will spoil you rotten!!!!

 

[ta&idaho]

nycskier speaks the truth!

 

[arik]

nycskier speaks the truth!

Yea I remember it well.